Staple extractor



March 28, 1367 1.. c. ALMOND, JR

STAPLE EXTRACTOR Filed May 6, 1966 INVENTOR Z azrva/z C fllmono nATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,311,346 STAPLE EXTRACTOR Lathan C.Almond, Jr., 1427 E. Waverly St., Tucson, Ariz. 85719 Filed May 6, 1966,Ser. No. 548,326 Claims. (Cl. 254-28) The invention described herein maybe manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmentalpurposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a staple extractor for removing wire staplesfrom a material and more particularly to a staple extractor which isalso capable of removing portions of the staple that are broken offduring the extracting operation.

Existing staple removers will suifice to remove a staple from a batch ofpaper sheets, or the like, but have no provision for removing a leg ofthe staple if broken off. This portion of the staple remains to bepulled out with the fingers or by using a special tool, such as a pairof pliers.

The device of the present invention is designed to pull out wire staplesfrom a material and also to grip a portion of the staple when broken offso that it can be pulled free without using an additional tool therefor.It further prevents injury to the operators fingers when an attempt ismade to remove the broken staple portions manually.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a stapleextractor that is not only capable of removing a staple from thematerial to which it is attached, but also to provide a means wherebythe operator may remove broken portions of the staple from the materialwithout having to remove them by the fingers of the operator or to use aseparate tool therefor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a staple extractorhaving opposed staple extracting jaws with a further pair of opposedgripping surfaces adapted to grip and hold a broken portion of a staplewhereby it may be pulled from the material.

It is a still further object to provide a gripping means for extractingbroken portions of a staple, the means consisting of a pair of opposedblocks carried by the extracting jaws of a staple extractor.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will befully apparent from the following description when taken in connectionwith the annexed drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a staple extractor constructed inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the staple extractor showing it in position toextract a staple;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the staple as removed;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the blocks gripping a brokenportion of a staple;

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing staple holder with the blocks closed;and

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line 66 of FIG. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawing, reference character 1 indicatesgenerally the staple extractor of this invention.

Generally, the staple extractor 1 is of conventional design and consistsof a pair of facing, rectangular members or channel units indicatedgenerally by 2 and 3 which are pivoted at their rearward ends as at 4.They are further biased apart by a spring 5 as indicated in dotted linesin FIGURE 2 only.

Each unit, 2 and 3, is undercut as at 6 and 7, respectively and bent outto form a pair of ears 9 and 10, one pair on each unit 2 and 3respectively, for the purpose of facilitating operation of the extractorby the users fingers.

The forward portion of channel units 2 and 3 form pairs of jaws 11 and12 which are concave at their inner edges 13 and 14 and convex at theirouter edges 15 and 16 to form pointed .teeth 17 and 18 on jaws 11 and 12respectively.

A pair of blocks 19 and 20 are secured, one each, in the floor of theforward portions of units 2 and 3.

Each block is rectangular and the forward ends thereof are rounded as at21 and 22 as shown. The rounded portions 21 and 22 are flush with theforward edges 15 and 16 of units 2 and 3.

Blocks 19 and 20 may be fastened to the floor of each unit 2 and 3 bysuitable means, not shown.

A staple 23 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and is illustrated as holding asheaf of material 24, such as paper.

A broken leg portiton of a staple leg is indicated at 25 in FIG. 4.

Unit 3 is wider than unit 2 so that teeth 17 will slide bet-ween teeth18 when the units 2 and 3 are closed to provide a oarnming actionbetween the inwardly curved inner ends 13 and 14 when a staple 23 isbeing extracted from material 24.

Each unit 2 and 3 may be fabricated from sheet metal or the like andeach unit is a unitary member. Blocks 19 and 20 may be of metal or likehard material.

Both blocks 19 and 20 are of equal dimensions and have planar opposedfaces, as shown.

The operation of the staple extractor 1 is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and4.

The extractor 1 is pressed together with the teeth 17 and 18 engagingunder the staple 23, as shown. The concave edges 13 and 14 cam thestaple 23 upwards. If more force is required, then the extractor 1 isrocked sideways and the rounded ends 15 or 16 provides more upward pull.

If a portion of staple 23 should break off (see PEG. 4), then the blocks1-9 and 20 will engage the broken portion 25 as shown, and then it maybe pulled free from the material 24.

Staple extractor 1 may be made in any size to accommodate the size ofstaple to be removed.

The device is extremely simple, both in construction and in operation.

While only a preferred form of the invention is shown and described,other forms of the invention are contemplated and numerous changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A staple extractor for the removal of wire staples from a material towhich attached comprising in cornbin' tion, a pair of opposed, springbiased channel units pivoted together at one of their ends, there beingan undercut in each unit and a portion bent outward to form a pair ofears, a pair of opposed jaws formed on the free ends of each unit, saidjaws having teeth at their opposed ends and a pair of opposed blocksfixed, one each in the floor of each jaw whereby when said units arepressed together, said pairs of teeth will normally remove a staple fromthe material, said blocks being adapted for gripping a broken piece ofstaple when remaining in the material for removal therefrom.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said units is of adifferent width throughout than the other one whereby one unit willslide within the other one when said units are pressed together.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jaws are concave at theirinner ends and convex at their outer 3 4 ends whereby a pair of pointedteeth are formed on their References Cited by the Examiner 5:; pressedtogethen 1,922,681 8/1933 Heise 254-28 4. A device as claimed in claim 1wherein the outer 5 2,431,922 12/1947 254'28 ends of said blocks are ofthe same contour as the outer 2940727 6/1960 Segal 254-28 edges of saidjaws arid are flusl therewith. WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

5: A devlce as claimed in clalm 1 wherein the opposed surfaces of saidblocks are planar. MILTON MEHR: Examine"-

1. A STAPLE EXTRACTOR FOR THE REMOVAL OF WIRE STAPLES FROM A MATERIAL TOWHICH ATTACHED COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF OPPOSED, SPRINGBIASED CHANNEL UNITS PIVOTED TOGETHER AT ONE OF THEIR ENDS, THERE BEINGAN UNDERCUT IN EACH UNIT AND A PORTION BENT OUTWARD TO FORM A PAIR OFEARS, A PAIR OF OPPOSED JAWS FORMED ON THE FREE ENDS OF EACH UNIT, SAIDJAWS HAVING TEETH AT THEIR OPPOSED ENDS AND A PAIR OF OPPOSED BLOCKSFIXED, ONE EACH IN THE FLOOR OF EACH JAW WHEREBY WHEN SAID UNITS AREPRESSED TOGETHER, SAID PAIRS OF TEETH WILL NORMALLY REMOVE A STAPLE FROMTHE MATERIAL, SAID BLOCKS BEING ADAPTED FOR GRIPPING A BROKEN PIECE OFSTAPLE WHEN REMAINING IN THE MATERIAL FOR REMOVAL THEREFROM.